Lakewood Woman Killed When Car Rear-Ends Dump Truck: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Lakewood woman was killed Tuesday morning when her car rear-ended a dump truck that had stopped in the road while a man chased a loose dog, Manchester police said.

Helga Risor, 82, of Lakewood, suffered significant injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened about 8:15 a.m., Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said.

Malland said the crash happened near the intersection of South Hope Chapel Road, also known as Route 547, and Ridge Avenue in the Ridgeway section of the township.

An uninvolved vehicle had pulled off to the side of Route 547 and its driver, a man, had gotten out and was trying to contain a dog that was loose, Malland said. Evel Perez, 30, of Camden, was driving south on Route 547 in a 2015 Caterpillar dump truck that was carrying a full load, and slowed down and stopped to avoid the man and the dog.

Risor, who was driving south on Route 547 in a white 1988 Lincoln Town Car, skidded and hit the back of the dump truck, which was carrying a full load. Her car was extensively damaged, Malland said.

Perez was not injured in the crash, he said.

Assisting at the scene were detectives from both the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Support Team and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit along with troopers from the New Jersey State Police Commercial Carrier Safety Inspection Unit.

Also assisting were EMTs from Quality Medical Transport, paramedics from MONOC, firefighters from both the Ridgeway and Whiting Volunteer Fire Departments and a representative from the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The investigation is continuing, but at this point, driver inattention on the part of the driver of the Lincoln appears to be a contributing factor, Malland said.

The road was closed for nearly 6 hours while the crash was investigated and the scene cleared, he said.

Patrolmen Jesse Hoydis, Michael Anderson, and Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit are investigating.

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Photo provided by Manchester Township Police